Judge denies preliminary injunction that sought to halt work on Calif. high-speed rail

Source: AP

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —A judge denied a request Friday from Central Valley farmers who sought to halt work on California’s ambitious high-speed rail project, allowing work on the $68 billion project to continue at an aggressive pace.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley denied a request for a preliminary injunction, saying that the agency overseeing the project “acted reasonably and in good faith” in trying to comply with California environmental law.

Groups representing Central Valley farmers had hoped to stop the California High-Speed Rail Authority from all planning and engineering work because of their claims that the authority did not thoroughly weigh the potential environmental harms of the project.

Frawley did not rule on the merits of their case, which is expected to be heard this spring, but said he was persuaded that the state generally sought to comply with California’s rigorous environmental laws, and that the potential harm to the state was much greater than the potential harm to farmers along the route.